Related Field
The present invention relates to the field of monitoring radiated electromagnetic energy.
The present invention relates to an electrically steerable antenna arrangement comprising at least a first antenna function and a second antenna function, each antenna function comprising at least one antenna element, the antenna functions having at least one main radiation lobe that is electrically steerable, where each antenna function comprises at least one signal altering means arranged for altering the time characteristics and/or phase characteristics and/or frequency characteristics of a signal fed through the signal altering means, the electrically steerable antenna arrangement comprising a control unit arranged for feeding a signal comprising control information to the antenna functions via a control connection, the signal altering means being arranged to take certain settings in dependence of the control information, such that for certain settings of the signal altering means, a certain angular direction of said main radiation lobe in relation to an antenna reference plane is acquired.
The present invention further relates to a method for controlling an electrically steerable antenna arrangement having at least a first antenna function and a second antenna function, the antenna functions having at least one main radiation lobe that is electrically steerable.
Description of Related Art
Electromagnetic radiations from powerful active electromagnetic sensor systems, such as radars, have strict security regulations which normally results in safety areas which may be difficult and/or expensive to maintain.
Scanning sensor systems comprising phase controlled antennas, electrically controlled antennas or active electrically controlled antennas have the functionality to direct and focus emitted energy in a flexible way. If no special precautions are made, the scanning sensor systems using such antennas require larger safety areas than more traditional antenna systems.
Technical solutions ensuring personal safety are more expensive to develop than technical solutions which do not have to take personal safety into account. It is therefore of interest to keep the functions for personal safety as uncomplicated as possible, such that the complexity of the maintaining of its proper function is minimized.
Today, monitoring functions are positioned within a space around the antenna, and are equipped to measure the energy radiated from the antenna. Such solutions are complicated and expensive, requiring equipment for measuring antenna radiation.
There is thus a demand for an uncomplicated and inexpensive device and a corresponding method for monitoring radiated electromagnetic energy from scanning sensor systems in a certain space and to enable detection of events that may cause the exceeding of predefined safety levels in this space.